realism kaisa ellandi lecture 2 kenneth waltz. realism.. states are: ◦ self-interested ◦...
TRANSCRIPT
Realism..Realism..States are:
◦Self-interested◦Aggressive◦Will pursue their interest to the
detriment of others◦Without regard to law and morality
Main problem is: anarchy - no world government
Key pointsKey pointsSovereign states are key actors in IRState are motivated by a drive for
power and pursuit of the „national interest“
Main problem – anarchyConflicts is an ever-present reality of IR
(lack of world government and aggressive intent of states)
Alliances among states – so no state would become overwhelmingly powerful
Key pointsKey pointsPower is the key to
understanding international behavior and state motivation;
Individuals are selfish – this is the cause of conflicts
Main problem: lack of central authority
The state and powerThe state and powerState has
◦defined territory, ◦government, ◦sovereign authority, ◦recognition,◦exercises power over it’s people
Central characteristics: sovereignty◦Internal and external sovereignty
State and powerState and powerPower is the ability to change
behavior and dominate over othersMilitary capability as an essence of
powerMilitary capability depends on:
◦Population◦Abundance of natural resources◦Geographical factors◦Type of government
Balance of powerBalance of powerTo prevent the dominance of any
one state in the international system
The main aim of “balance of power” is to preserve the security of states, if necessary by means of war
Conflict and violence Conflict and violence Kenneth Waltz „Man, the State and
War“ (1959)Human nature is the root cause of
warNational interests lead inevitably to
nationalistic clashes with other states
Structure of international system itself leads to conflict by forcing states to act in a certain way
Peace and SecurityPeace and SecurityPeace is a condition characterized
by an absence of warRelationship between state and
peace is not straightforwardSecurity is about state survival Thanks to balance of power, most
of the states are secure Each state has to provide for its
own security
Institutions and world Institutions and world orderorderMain actors in IR: states Hedley Bull: International
Institutions are „states in waiting“International institutions are
significant only to the extent that they allow states to pursue their own interest.
Hegemony ( a concept of neo-realist) is the dominance of a single power